High pressure and low pressure pressing machine



Sept. 13, 1932. v E. DAVIS 1,877,752

HIGH PRESSURE AND LOW PRESSURE PRESSII IG MACHINE Filed June 12, 1929 3Sheets-Sheet J.

Sept. 13, 1932. E. DAVIS HIGH PRESSURE AND LOW PRESSURE PRESSING MACHINE3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 12, 1929 Sept. 13, 1932. V DAV|$ 1,877,752

HIGH PRESSURE AND LOW PRESSURE PRESSING MACHINE Filed June 12, 1929 5Sheets-Sheet 3 \a & P 9

I A Bi nvnsvvrwa ATTORNE Y5.

Patented Sept. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES.

PATEN'F OFFICE ERNEST DAVIS, Olli SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THEPROSPERITY COMPANY, INC., OF'SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK Application filed June 12, 1929. Serial No. 370,208.

This invention relates to machines having an opening and closingmovement as garment and laundry presses and has for its object, aparticularly simple and efficient control for the motor of the press,whereby the press head or ]LW can be first closed under light pressureand then at the option of the operator under various degrees of heavypressure, or graduated jaw pressure.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations andconstructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings in which like characters represent corresponding part in allthe views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pressing machine embodying myinvention and in closed position.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view partly in section, illustrating themotorand the controls therefor, in open press position.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view partly in sectionshowing a manual operating member or pedal in side elevat on.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the pedal shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section of the camsoperated by the operating member or pedal, the control and releasemembers and motion transmitting parts between the cams and said members.

Figure 6 is an elevation of parts seen in Figure 5.

The invention comprises generally motor means operable to move themovable pressing element of a pressing machine into light or lowpressure coaction withthe other element of the machine, and into heavyor high pres sure coaction therewith, and an operating member movable inone drection from neutral to effect the low pressure coaction and in theopposite direction from neutral to effect the high pressure coaction andbeyond its posit on assumed when effecting high pressure coaction, toopen the press.

The invention is shown as embodied in a modern or standard aw type ofgarment and laundry press comprising a buck 1 and a head 2 movabletoward and from the buck, the

buck being mounted on a bracket or bolster 3 which is supported on theframe 4 of the machine. The head 2 is carried at the front end of aframe or yoke lever 5 pivoted at 6 between its ends to a standard 7rising from the frame. 1

The head is actuated by motor means connected through suitable motiontransmitting mechanism to the rear arm of the lever 5. The motor meansin this embodiment of my invention, is shown as of the fiuid pressuretype. Compressed air is preferably the motwo power.

The motor meanshere illustrated includes two units, each unit comprisinga cylinder and piston. 8 designates the cylinder for effecting lightpressure between the pressing elements and 9 the piston therein. Thecylinder 8 is pivoted at 10 to the back leg 11 of the frame or a bracket12 thereon in order that the cylinder may oscillate during the movementof the piston. The rod 13 of the piston is connected at 14 to the reararm of the lever 5.

15 designates the cylinder and 16 the piston for applying high or heavypressure to the pressing elements. The cylinder 15 is pivoted at 17 tothe under side of the frame to have an oscillating movement and the rod18 of the piston is connected through levers and links to the rear armof the yoke lever 5. The piston rod 18 is here illustrated as pivoted at19 to the forwardly extending arm of an angle lever 20 pivoted at 21 atits angle to the base of the frame, the upwardly extending arm of theangle lever being pivoted at 22 to the lower end of a link 23 which ispivoted at its upper end at 14 to the rear arm of the yoke lever. Thepistons are single acting and when the pressure in the cylinders isreleased, the press is opened by counter-springs 24, 25.

As the motor means is operated by air pressure, the operating means actsto control the flow of motive fluid to and from the cylinders throughcontrol valve means.

The operating member is preferably a pedal 26 mounted to rock about anaxis laterally in opposite directions from neutral position. The pedal26 is mounted on a shaft or spindle 27 journalled in bearings 28 in a.bracket 29 at the base of the frame.

30 designates the control member or valve means for controlling lightpressure, and 31 the control member or valve means for controlling heavypressure. 30 comprises a casing 32, a normally closed spring pressedintake valve 33 in the casing and a normally open exhaust valve 34connected to the intake valve by a stem 35 to act as a unit. The intakeend of the casing 32 is connected to the feed line or pipe 36.

The casing 32 is connected at a point between the valves 33 and 34 to apipe 37 having a branch 38 leading to the light pressure cylinder 8.This branch 38 may be considered the light pressure line as it isthrough it and the cylinder that the piston 9 is actuated and the head 2is actuated into light pressure position.

The heavy pressure control member or valve means 31 comprises a casing39 having a normally closed spring pressed intake valve head 40 and anormally open exhaust valve head 41 connected together by a stem 42 toact as a unit. The intake end of the casing 39 is connected by a pipe 43to the pipe 37 and the casing 39 is connected from a point between thevalve heads by a pipe 44 to the intake end of the heavy pressurecylinder 15. The pipe'44 may, for convenience, be considered a heavypressure pipe, as it is through it and the cylinder 15 and piston 16that the press head 2 is closed under heavy pressure. The pipe 44 has acheck valve 45 therein which acts to lock the air in the cylinder 15 andhence, lock the press closed and which may be used as a graduatedpressure control valve to add increments of jaw compression to the workon the buck 1.

The valves of the controls 30 and 31 are operated from the pedal 26through suitable motion transmitting mechanism. As here illustrated,this mechanism comprises c ams 46 and'47 mounted on the shaft 27 of thepedal 26, movable plunger parts as slides 48 and 49 having followers asrollers 50 and 51 at like ends coacting with the cams and having meansat their other ends thrusting against levers 52 and 53 which coact withthe stems 54 and 55 of the exhaust valve heads. The slides 48, 49 movein suitable tubular guides 56 and 57 in a bracket 58, carried by themachine frame, and springs 60, 61 are located in the guides 56 and 57and act on the slides to cause them to follow the cams 46 and 47.

These springs 60 and 61 are heavy or strong enough to return the pedal26 to neutral when released. The motion of the slides 48 and 49 istransferred yieldingly to prevent possible The valve meansv fer springs66 and 67 are interposed between the slides 56 and 62 and 57 and 63.

The lever 52 is part of the means for locking the valve heads 33 and 34in their operated or closed press position. This means is pressureoperated and comprises a diaphragm chamber 68 having a diaphragm 69therein which acts through a sliding rod 70 on the lever 52. Thepressure side of the chamber 68 is connected to an air supply pipe 71through a pipe or flexible hose 72 and control valve therem. The pipe 71is also flexible. Also, all of the other pipes connected to movableparts as 38 and 44 are flexible or provided with flexible or hoseportions.

A control valve 73 is mounted on the head 2 or the yoke lever 5 andcomprises a casing 74 having a normally closed spring pressed intakevalve head 75 and a normally open exhaust valve head 76 connectedtogether by a stem 77 to act as a unit. The intake end of the casing isconnected to the pipe 71 and the pipe 72 opens into the casing betweenthe valve heads. The valve heads 75 and 76 are operated by a hand lever78 pivoted at 79 and having an arm 80 thrusting against the stem 81 ofthe exhaust valve head 76. A spring 82 returns the hand lever 78 to itsstarting position when released and permits the spring in the valvecasing 74 to close the intake valve 75 and open the exhaustvalve 76.When the exhaust valve 76 is thus opened, pressure is released from thediaphragm chamber 68 and the valves in the control means 30 return tonormal position so that the supply of working fluid from the supply line36 is cut ofl and the pipes 37 and 38 are open to exhaust.

By tilting the pedal 26 and rotating shaft 27 to the left in Figure 2,the control valve 30 is operated to let air enter the light pressurecylinder 8 to close the press under light pressure. By then depressingthe hand lever 78, the control valve 30 will be momentarily locked inoperated position while the pedal is being reversed or turned from itsleft hand position indicated at A in Figure 4 to its right hand positionB in Figure 4 to operate the control valve means 31 to obtain heavypressure. Obviously, the press will be held under heavy pressure by thecheck valve 45.

The press is provided with means for exhausting theair from the cylinder15. This means comprises a normally closed spring pressed exhaust valve83 in a casing 84 which is connected by pipes 85 and 86 to the pipe 44leading to the cylinder 15. The valve 83 is opened against the action ofits returning spring by the cam 47 which has a cam point .87 arranged tocoact with a follower 88 on a lever 89 thrusting against a stem 90 ofthe valve 83. The cam point 87 is located to engage the follower whenthe pedal 26 is turned to its extreme right hand position. Opening ofthis exhaust valve 83 will permit working fluid to escape from thecylinder 15 through the pipes 86 and 85. If the handle 78 has not beenheld in down position, the valve 34 .will be open and there will be noworking fluid in the cylinder 8. Thus the press may open under influenceof the countersprings 24 and 25.

' The cam 46 is also formed with a cam point 91 to coact with a follower92 on a lever 93 which acts on a stem 94 of a normally closed springpressed exhaust valve 95 in a casing 96 which casing is connected by apipe 97 to the pipe 86. Upon initial turning of the pedal 26 to theleft, the point 91 will open the valve 95 to exhaust the cylinder 15 andthe press will open to light pressure position.'

Also, upon initial turning of the pedal to the left when the press isclosed, the exhaust valves will be opened and prevent the piston in thecylinder 15 from being air bound.

In operation, the operator after laying the work on a buck 1, turns thepedal 26 to the left, causing the cam point 98, not before referred to,on the cam 46 to operate the control valve 30 as described permittingthe air to enter the low power cylinder 8. This movement of the cam 46also causes the cam point 91 to open the valve 95 so that air in thecylinder 15 will remain at atmospheric ment of the press. He then, if hedesires heavy pressure, momentarily locks the valve 33 in open positionby pulling down on the hand lever 78 and then turns the pedal 26 to theright causing a cam point, 99 not before mentioned, on cam 47 to openthe valve and permit air to enter the high power cylinder 15, the checkvalve holding the pressure in this cylinder. The operator can build upor graduate the pressure in the high power motor 15 by successivelyactuating the con-' trol pedal to the left a number of times, as byshort stroke foot movements, and each small increment or charge of airwhich passes the check valve 45 will add just that much more jawpressure against the work on the buck 1. To open the press, the operatorturns the pedal 26 further to the right so that the cam point 87 on thecam 47 opens the exhaust valve 83. Upon release of the pedal 26, one orthe other of the springs or 61 acting through the cams 46 and 47respectively, returns the pedal 26 to horizontal or neutral startingposition. In turning the pedal 26 to the extreme right to open theexhaust valve 83 the cam point 99 does not pats by the roller 51 norpass the center of the roller so that the force of the spring 61 iseffective to return the pedal to the left and back to neutral position.

The invention provides a fast working multistep ironing press which issafe in operation by rapidly closing onto the work under the influenceof a low power motor and thereafter producing final high jaw compressionby reason of a high powered motor controls the principal movements andoperations'of the press by a single toe pedal, thus leaving his handsfree for handling the work and goods being ironed.

What I claim is:

1. In a garment or laundry pressing ma- 76 chine in combinationcooperative pressing elements, one of which is movable to open and closethe press; operating mechanism for the movable pressing elementincluding motor means for closing the press under a light 8 pressure andother motor means for applying heavy pressure to the pressing elements;Valve means for controlling the flow of motive fluid to both motormeans; a conduit connecting the valve means with the light pressuremotor means, and another conduit connecting the valve means with theheavy pressure motor meansfan operator-operated control member, normallyin neutral position,

and movable in one direction from neutral position to operate the valvemeans to supply working fluid to the low pressure motor .means, andmovable in the opposite direction pressure during the preliminaryclosing movefrom neutral position to operate the valve means to supplyworking fluid to the heavy pressure motor means; and means to preventthe effective operation of the control member in the second of saiddirections before it has been moved in the first direction.

2. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which ismovable toward and from the other, mechanism for actuating the movableelement including light pressure and heavy ressure motor means andoperating connections between the same and the movable element to closesaid element under light and heavy pressure, means for controlling theflow of power to the motor means including an operating member normallyarranged in neutral position and movable in opposite directions fromneutral to eflect the actuation of the motor means to move the movableelement into light pressure and heavy pressure positions respectively,means for holding the press in the motor means and the movable element 7and means for controlling the actuation of the motor means to producelight pressure and heavy pressure including means to control the supplyof motive fluid to the motor means, an operating member normallyarranged in neutral position and movable in one direction from neutralto actuate the fluid supply control means to effect light pressure andin the other direction from neutral to actuate the fiuid supply controlmeans to efiect heavy pressure, and means to prevent effective operationof the operating member to cause heavy pressure before it has beenoperated to cause light pressure.

4. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which ismovable toward and from the other, mechanism for actuating the movableelement including motor means having a light pressure unit and a heavypressure unit and operating connections between the units and themovable element to close said element under light pressure and heavypressure respectively, means for controlling the flow of power to thelight pressure unit, means for controlling the flow of. power to theheavy pressure unit, said heavy pressure control means being connect edin series with the light pressure control means, whereby the efiectiveoperation of the heavy pressure control means is governed by theoperation of the light pressure control means, means for operating saidcontrol means successively including a single operating member movablein opposite directions from neutral, and operating connections betweensaid operating member and the control means, whereby movement in onedirection from neutral operates one control means and movement .in theother direction from neutral operates the other control means, and meansfor locking the light pressure control means in its operated position.

5. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which ismovable toward and from the other, mechanism for actuating the movableelement including motor means having a light pressure unit and a heavypressure unit and operating connections between the units and themovable element to close said element under light pressure and heavypressure respectively, means for controlling the flow of power to thelight pressure unit, meansfor controlling the flow of power to the heavypressure unit, said heavy pressure control means being connected inseries with the light pressure control means, whereby the efi'ectiveoperation of the heavy pressure control means is governed by theoperation of the light pressure control means, means for operating saidcontrol means successively including a single operating member movablein opposite directions from neutral, operating connections between saidoperating member and the control means, whereby movement in onedirection from neutral operates one control means and movement in theother direction from neutral operates the other control means, and meansfor locking the light pressure control means in its operated position,

said locking means being manually operable.

6. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which ismovable toward and from the other, mechanism for actuating the movableelement including motor means and operating connections between themotor means and the movable element to actuate the movable element,control devices for controlling the flow of power to the motor means toeffect respectively light pressure and heavy pressure between saidelements, an operating member' normally arranged in neutral position andmovable in one direction from neutral to operate the light pressurecontrol device and in the other direction from neutral to operate theheavy pressure control device, means for holding the press closed, meansfor releasing the press, and means operated by the operating member uponmovement thereof in one direction beyond the movement required tooperate the heavy pressure control device to release the press of theaction of the means holding it closed.

7. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which ismovable toward and from the other, mechanism for actuating the movableelement including mo tor means consisting of two units, one unitincluding a light pressure cylinder and piston movable therein, and theother unit, a heavy pressure cylinder and piston movable therein, a feedline, control valve means connected in the feed line to control the flowof motive fluid to the light pressure cylinder, control valve meansconnected in series with the former control valve means and beingconnected to the heavy pressure cylinder through a pipe having a checkvalve therein,

a normally closed exhaust valve connected.

in said pipe, and an operating member operable to actuate the controlvalve means successively and having means to open the exhaust valve uponmovement of the operating member beyond its movement required to openthe heavy pressure control valve.

.8. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of whichis movable toward and from the other, mechanism for actuating themovable element including motor means consisting of two units, one unitcomprising a light pressure cylinder and piston movable therein and theother unit, a heavy pressure cylinder and piston movable therein, a feedline, control valves connected in the feed line to control the flow ofmotive fluid to the light pressure cylinder, control valves connected inseries with the former control valves and connected to the heavypressure cylinder through a pipe having a check valve therein, anormally closed exhaust valve connected in said pipe, an operatingmember operable to actuate the control valves successively and havingmeans to open the exhaust valve upon movement of the opcrating memberbeyond its movement required to open the heavy pressure control valve,and manually controlled means for locking the light pressure controlvalve in its operated position.

9. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing elements, one of which ismovable toward and from the other, mechanism for actuating the movableelement including motor means consisting of two units, one unitcomprising a light pressure cylinder and piston movable therein and theother unit, a heavy pressure cylinder and piston movable therein, a feedline, control valve means connected in the feed line to control the flowof motive fluid to the light pressure cylinder, control valve meansconnected in series with the former control'valve means and con-- nectedto the heavy pressure cylinder through a pipe having a check valvetherein, a normally closed exhaust valve connected in said. pipe, anoperating member operable to actuate the control valve meanssuccessively and having means to open the exhaust valve upon movement ofthe operating member beyond its movement required to open the heavypressure control valve, manually controlled means for locking the lightpressure control valve in its operated position and a second normallyclosed exhaust valve connected in said pipe, and the operating memberhaving means for opening the second exhaust valve upon movement of saidoperating member to operate the light pressure valve means.

10. A garment or ironing press, comprising in combination, coactingpress jaws, oper ating means to open and close the press in- .cludlng alow power motor and high power motor operatively connected with onepress jaw to close the press by a multi step operation, a fluid pressureline connected with each cylinder, a control valve means in each line,

a single control pedal pivoted substantially parallel to the lengthwiseposition of an operators foot and having two engaging end portions oneon each side of the axis by which an operators foot may depress eitherend portion to tilt the pedal, operating means between the pedal andeach control valve means, whereby the operator may depress one end ofthe pedal to open one of the control valve means and energize the lowpower motor to close the press with light jaw contact, holding means toretain said valve open to main-,

tain the low power motor energized, and the depression of the other endof the pedal opens the other control valve to energize the high powermotor to produce heavy jaw compresslon.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at Syracuse, inthe county of Onondaga, and State of New York, this 28th day of May,1929.

Y ERNEST DAVIS.

